Fence post brace



' J. o. TRAIL Feb; 8, I938.

FENCE POST BRACE Filed March 26, 1937 I 'INVENTOR. 670:5 BY OZaJZQL; 2' i5,

T TORNEY Patented Feb. 8, 1938 I r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FENCE POST BRACE John Orville Trail, Forest City, Iowa Application March 26, 1937, Serial No. 133,241 .2 Claims. (01. lea-31.1

This invention relates to improvements in fence the underside of the brace body, to which it may post braces. be suitably secured, if desired.

The main object of the invention is to pro- At the angle of intersection of the walls or vide a brace for the corner or end post of a fence portions 8 and 9 of the abutment end 7 the outer which will firmly support the post in an upright end of the post rests upon the support 3. This position and prevent displacement of the post may be of any suitable character to sustain the under the stresses and strains falling upon the abutment end of the post and prevent it from fence structure. sinking into the ground. It is herein shown in A further object of the invention is to provide the form of an oblong rectangular sheet metal or 10 a fence post brace which is of simple character, cast plate adapted to rest upon the ground and 10 strong and durable in construction, capable of having end flanges ll entering the ground to hold being inexpensively manufactured and applied, it from shifting. This plate may be provided and which may be easily applied for use or rewith upstanding spaced guiding and stop ribs or moved when occasion requires. projections [2 between which the angular base The invention consists of the features of conof the abutment portion 1 of the post brace fits. 15 struction, combination and arrangement of parts, These ribs or projections serve as guides to allow hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference the bracing structure to have movement toward being had to the accompanying drawing, in and from the post to compensate for expansion which:- and contraction, and serve to prevent displace- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the fence post brace ment of the abutment end of the bracing member 20 embodying my invention, showing the same apin either direction laterally.

plied to a fence post, parts of the brace appearing A tension or tie member or device is provided in section. for connecting the outer end of the bracing mem- Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 22 of her 2 with the post, whereby the parts may be Fig, 1, rigidly united and the post and abutment end 25 Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line 33 of Fig. 1. of the bracing member drawn into proper relation Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the seat support. to Su t n the p t in an upright Position. T is Referring now more particularly to the drawtension or tie member or device may be of any ing, I designates a fence post, which may be the suitable type. It is shown in the present in- 3 corner or end post of a Wire fence or like fence Stance .as compr s {781181011 Wire of D structure, and which may be made of any suitform, the looped end of which is passed around able form and material. the post and the ends of the wire connected with The post is adapted to be stably supported in the eye [4 of a tension bolt l5 engaged with the position bya bracing structure comprising a. bracme n of e bracing em er AS ing member 2 secured at one end to the post and shown, the bolt I5 is passed through alined p 35 extending at an outwardly and downwardly inngs in the walls or p t s 8 and 9 Of the clined or diagonal angle thereto and resting at triangular abutment portion 1 and provided with its opposite end upon a suitable seat support 3. adjusting and lock nuts l6 and l! to hold it in This bracing member is preferably made of metal, adjusted position.

of any suitable cross-section suitable for the pur By means of this bolt and its nuts the tension 40 pose. In the present instance it is shown as comelement I3 is adjustably fastened to the abutprising a length of sheet metal of L-shaped crossment end of the bracing member 2 so that the section, but it may be of any other desired crosstension element may be tensioned t0 the desired section. At one end this member 2 is shown as degree and firmly held in tensioned condition.

provided with a bent attaching portion 4 secured This tensioning dev not y holds the bracing 45 to the post I by fastening means 5 and also, if deelement and p081; fi y united but p de a sired, by a clip or other fastening member 6. means whereby the post may be drawn in the At its opposite or outer end the bracing memdirection of the base plate to maintain it in an ber 2 is bent upon itself or formed to provide a up ight position.

substantially triangular abutment portion 1 em- From the foregoing description, taken in con- 50 bodying an end wall or portion 8 integral with the nection with the drawing, the construction and brace body and a rebent bottom wall or portion 9 mode of use of my improved fence post brace will which extends under the brace body in the direcbe readily understood and it Will be seen that tion of the post and is integral at one end with it provides a brace for the corner or end post of the wall 8 and bears at its opposite end Ill against wire or other fences by means of which the post 55 and fence as a whole may be braced and supported against displacement under the stresses and? strains" ordinarily falling thereon. Also it wilk be seen that the invention provides a bracing 5 structure which is of simple and inexpensive character, strong and durable, and adapted to be easily applied to the post and as readily removed when occasion requires, as when it is desired to substitute a new post for'an old one or change 0 the position of the post.

It will, of course, be understood that permissible changes within the scope of the appended claims may be made, such, for example, as making the body of the bracing member 2 of tubulfar or 15 other cross-sectional form, and of substituting a rod or single strand of wire for the tie element I3. Also it will be understood that other changes in the form, details oficonstruction and arrangement of the parts may sbe made, within the scope of 20 the appended claims, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the irivention.

What I claim is:--

21. A fence brace including a bracing member adapted to be secured at one end to a fence post and having its opposite end formed to provide a reinforcing abutment portion having opposed: and relatively spaced Walls, a tension element adapted to be secured at one end to the post, and an adjustable iastening element extending through said spaced walls of the abutment portion of the bracing element and connected to the opposite end of the tension element.

j 2. A fence post brace comprising a ch nelled bracing element adapted tobe secured at one end to a fence post and bent at its opposite end to provide an abutment portion to rest upon a support, said abutment portion having opposed and relatively spaced Walls, atension element adapted to. be connected at one end to the post, and a bolt connected at one end to said tension element and passingi'through said spaced Walls of the abut iment end of the bracing member and having imeans engaging one of said Walls for adjustably 'connecting the bolt to said abutment portion. JOHN ORVILLE TRAIL. 

